Golden Eagle festival tour

Kazakh eagle hunter in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, Mongolia.

The Eagle festival, or Golden Eagle festival is an annual traditional festival held in Bayan-Ölgii aimag, Mongolia. In the eagle festival, Kazakh eagle hunters celebrate their heritage and compete to catch small animals such as foxes and hares with specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills both of the birds and their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for the best traditional Kazakh dress, and more. eagle hunting

The Eagle Festival is held during the first weekend (5-6) of October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association. Dark, rocky mountainous terrain forms the backdrop to the festivities which incorporate an opening ceremony, parade, cultural exhibitions, demonstrations and handcrafts in the center of town of Ölgii followed by sporting activities and competitions 4 km out towards the mountains. Dressed in full eagle hunting regalia and mounted on groomed decorated horses, the entrants compete for the awards of Best Turned Out Eagle and Owner; Best Eagle at Hunting Prey and Best Eagle at Locating Its Owner from a Distance. Other sporting activities include horse racing, archery and the highly entertaining Bushkashi - goatskin tug of war on horseback.

Important tip: Domestic tickets schedule which is considered as Summer flight schedules will be announced in Late March and domestic return tickets for October specifically during the festival will HAVE TO be booked as soon as the flight schedule is announced. So it is very important. Local aviation companies make domestic tickets at least 2 times more expensive during this time of festival. And Local hotels make their prices 4 times more expensive during this festival. So this trip is quite costly.

DETAILED ITINERARY - DAY BY DAY

Day 1
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, welcomed by Four Seasons Travel's staff at UB airport. Drive to your booked hotel. After your having a lunch we will see history museum wnich It’s UB's only genuine blockbuster sight, offering an unparalleled overview of Mongolian culture, ranging from stone-age petroglyphs and exquisite gold ornamentation to, arguably the highlight, the full gamut of traditional ceremonial costume – which unmistakably inspired the look of characters from the Star Wars prequels. In the evening we will see Tumen-Enkh Ensemble Mongolian traditional concert. Drive back to Hotel after the dinner.

Day 2
Fly to Ulgii

Fly from UB to Olgii. Arrive in Olgii, welcomed in hotel in Olgii. See Kazakh family concert and visit local black market. Kazakh family has a lot of tradition and culture, You can see different life style and see it. Overnight in hotel.

Day 3
Eagle Festival opening ceremony

Start attending the eagle festival with the opening ceremony. The eagle hunters come from all directions and from far remote areas in the Altai Mountains and some travel days on horseback to come to participate. The festival starts with an impressive parade: seventy hunters with their eagles on their arms are riding their horses and camels, the youngest was nine, the oldest eighty. They wear beautiful traditional costumes. Afterwards several competitions are being held. After the festival taken to Olgii and overnight in hotel.

Day 4
Eagle festival

Enjoy the festivities and competition of the Golden Eagle Festival and attend the eagle festival on this day ending with its closing ceremony. Each year Kazakh hunters from near and far attend the festival with their Golden Eagles, known as Berkut, to enter them into competitions testing speed, agility, and accuracy. Ceremonies, dance performances, a parade in the provincial capital’s city square, and a Kazakh play are held in honor of the hunters and their eagles. The Golden Eagle Festival is a highlight of any traveler’s visit to Mongolia. Overnight in hotel in Olgii

Day 5
Altai village

Start driving to Altai village where you initially started to ride on horses towards Olgii along with the eagle hunters. Now it is time to experience the REAL Hunting with eagles on your own along with other eagle hunters. he birds are usually taken from their nests as chicks to be trained. Western animal lovers might protest about the practice, but try arguing the point with a proud Kazakh whose ancestors have been doing it for centuries. A golden eagle lives in ‘captivity’ for approximately 40 years. The hunter grows old with his bird.

Day 6
Altay mountains with golden eagle on your arms

Training session on this day in the morning for a short time, how to ride a horse with a golden eagle on your arms to be ready to hunt wild animals ( such as fox, rabbit, pallas cat etc) on the Altay mountains. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Altay mountains with golden eagle on your arms. There will be more than 4 eagle falconers joining the Hunting for the next couple of days while you are there. You will have a lot of information and experience exchanges with them. Photography can be done too. Overnight in guesthouse.

Day 7
Real hunting with golden eagles

You will be doing a REAL HUNTING WITH GOLDEN EAGLES along with other eagle hunters accompanying with you. In the afternoon, ride on camels and have fun. Overnight at the same family. Have good bye party. (You will have hot shower facilities there as well)

Day 8
Back to Ulgii

(October 11) We will drive back to Olgii , on the way back, you will stop by a Uriankhai ( Uriankhai is a small Mongolian ethnic minority) throat singer to listen to his throat singing. Arrive in Olgii. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 9
Fly to UB

Fly out of Olgii to UB. Drive to booked hotel.

Day10
Fly to your country

Our team to pick you up from the hotel and drive everyone to Fly to home countries